Astadala Pada Padmaradhanamu seva is conducted after the ringing of second bell. This ritual
was initially introduced in Srivari Temple in 1984 when a Muslim devotee
presented Lord Srinivasa 108 gold lotuses. The Archana begins with the puja by
offering dhupa and diva to the key deity. Then he enumerates the Devadasa names
of the Lord. While sheering each name of the Lord, one golden lotus is offered at
the feet of the lord Srinivasa. On completion of the Archana for the main deity
Archana is then offered for Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Padmavati. After that
Ratha aarti is offered first, followed by usual aarti. During this special
puja, the arjitha ticket holders are seated in the Antalya corridor that is
located between the Kulasekhara padi and Bangaru Vakili.
In this seva the god is worshiped in a
special way with 108 Golden lotus flowers while performing a unique Archana.
There are certain conditions for the Admission for this seva through “Vaikuntam
complex” and for attending this seva is the participant should bring along with
his wife as this can only be performed by couples. “Dampathi sameetha”. It is
Astadala – Swarna – Padma – Puja. This special puja is celebrated only on
Tuesdays after the second bell is over and Jiyar swami with the Sri Vaishnavas
comes out. The arjitha sevakas who have paid for the seva are only allowed to
go and sit in the mantapa between Bangaru Vakili and the Kulasekhara padi.
This started when a Muslim devotee offered 108 golden lotuses each
weighing about 23 Gms to Lord. In this vishesa puja, the Archana offered
by these flowers at the holy feet of the Lord with the uttering of each
name Then arjitha sevakas are provided with vastra (upper cloth) along with
sathari and they are offered five big laddu’s, five vada’s as prasadam.
Arjitha Seva signifies performing seva
to the Lord on payment of a fee to the trust of the temple. Tirumala Tirupati
Devasthanam supervises the worship of the Lord and his finances. These three
kinds of Sevas are as follows: Daily Seva, Weekly Seva and Annual Seva.
The Temple addresses the lead person
performing the seva as Grihasta. All people performing sevas are suggested to
report to the Vaikuntam Queue Complex at least 45 minutes to 1 hour prior to
the start of the seva. Usually the time of reporting to the Queue complex is
well mentioned on the purchased ticket. Most of the Sevas necessitate the
pilgrims to stick on to conventional dressing norms: dhoti around the waist and
uttariya (upper cloth) on the shoulder for men and saree for women. The only
exception to the rule is Archananantara Darsanam.
So whenever you plan to visit Tirupati,
never forget to attend Astadala Pada Padmaradhanamu as it is unique and unusual
way of worshipping lord and certainly must to be part of!